Dallas County High School

Dallas County High School in Plantersville, AL, serves approximately 334 students in grades 9-12 in a rural community within the Dallas County school district, where 76% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The school's standout strength is English Language Arts, with 32.31% of 11th graders scoring proficient in 2025-2026—nearly double the district rate and essentially matching the state average. This represents a remarkable 16-point improvement from the prior year and is more than double the proficiency rate at nearby Selma High School (15.17%). The school also serves its African American students exceptionally well, ranking in the 59th percentile statewide for this subgroup. However, mathematics remains a critical weakness, with only 7.58% of 11th graders proficient compared to the state average of 27.21%. Science proficiency (13.64%) also trails the state average (36.17%), though it has shown modest improvement. A significant gender gap exists, with female students ranking in the 39th percentile while male students rank in the 17th percentile.

Chronic absenteeism, while improved from 35.7% to 21.6% over two years, remains nearly double the state average and likely contributes to academic challenges. The graduation rate of 87.1% exceeds the district average (84.9%) and edges out Selma High's 86.6%, suggesting effective student retention. The student-teacher ratio has improved to 14:1 from 19.7:1 two years ago, providing an opportunity for more targeted instruction. Despite ranking in the bottom third of Alabama high schools overall, Dallas County High School outperforms its district in nearly every metric and exceeds Selma High in English proficiency and graduation rates, indicating the school is achieving more with its resources than its ranking suggests.